Mazda CX-9 at the forefront of value

The big Mazda CX-9 is cheaper to run and buy courtesy of its new front-wheel-drive versions.

MAZDA has introduced new front-wheel-drive versions of its CX-9, making the big, seven-seater SUV cheaper to buy and run.

The Japanese brand cut the price on its CX-9 SUV in response to recently updated competitors including the Ford Territory and Holden Captiva7.

The entry-level CX-9 Classic is now priced from $44,425 plus costs, a drop of $5590 over the previous all-wheel-drive Classic it replaces. While it loses the traction benefits of AWD, the Classic features 18-inch alloys, auto headlights, cruise control, tri-zone climate control and leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear knob.

Mazda is also offering the option of an integrated 7-inch touch screen sat-nav system with Bluetooth audio streaming for $2600.

However, buyers will have to pay several thousand dollars more than before for an all-wheel-drive CX-9, which now starts at $56,225.

Higher trim levels of the all-wheel-drive CX-9 models mean slight drops in pricing further up the range, with the Luxury AWD with Satnav dropping by $790 and the Grand Touring by $1027.

Front-wheel-drive CX-9 models retain the same 3.7-litre V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission as the rest of the range, although removing the extra mechanicals and weight from the rear of the car mean fuel consumption drops slightly from 11.2 litres per 100 kilometres to a still relatively thirsty 11.0L/100km.